How much debt do Houston City College biology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $11,005, which ranks 6th lowest of 8 biology associate's programs in Texas. That works out to about $117 a month over 10 years.

Is a biology degree from Houston City College worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 45% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 38%. Compare the cost with other Texas programs before deciding.

Do Houston City College biology graduates stay in Texas?

Most do. 102% (46 of 45) were working in Texas one year after graduating.

Houston City College Biology (Associate's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Associate's in Biology, General
Public college
Houston, TX
About 582 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Houston City College biology graduates earn about what biology graduates earn nationally, $24,621 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $11,005 in federal loans, close to the national median of $10,061. Several Texas programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$24,62127th percentile of 15 programs nationally

Median federal debt$11,0056th lowest of 8 Texas programs

Debt-to-earnings45%Texas median 38%, national 38%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Texas and national columns are the medians across all biology associate's programs that report the figure.

	Houston City College	Texas	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$24,621	$27,813	$26,835
Median federal debt at graduation	$11,005	$10,811	$10,061
Debt as share of first-year pay	45%	38%	38%
Programs compared		8	15

Debt and first-year pay at every Texas biology program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Texas medians.

Houston City CollegeOther Texas programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $117 a month, or 5.7% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

102% of graduates (46 of 45) were working in Texas one year after graduating. Prices in the Houston area are about 1% below the national average, so a $24,621 salary here buys what about $24,963 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to biology, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$63,590

Median pay in Texas. 111,660 people work in this job in Texas. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $50,410Top 10%: $78,020

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$80,470

Median pay in Texas. 11,920 people work in this job in Texas. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: doctoral or professional degree.

Bottom 10%: $63,870Top 10%: $144,060

Natural Sciences Managers

$129,960

Median pay in Texas. 7,470 people work in this job in Texas. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $74,200Top 10%: $213,280

Biological Technicians

$50,130

Median pay in Texas. 2,730 people work in this job in Texas. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $36,960Top 10%: $80,600

About Houston City College

In-district tuition and fees	$2,040 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$5,460 / year
Average net price after aid	$5,737 / year
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	17%
Undergraduate students	40,503

Biology ranks 17th of 19 associate's programs at Houston City College by first-year earnings. The top three are Diagnostic and Treatment Professions ($67,098), Nursing ($66,743), and Engineering Science ($61,518).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $24,621 one year after graduating. The median across biology associate's programs in Texas is $27,813.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Texas comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the biology program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Biology associate's programs in Texas, ranked8 programs by pay and debt Biology associate's programs in the US, ranked15 programs by pay and debt All Houston City College programs, ranked29 programs by pay and debt